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28
Oct 2021
Harrogate council leader confirms he will stand down
The leader of Harrogate Borough Council has announced he will stand down after more than 20 years of service as a councillor.
Cllr Richard Cooper, who was first elected as a Conservative councillor in 1999, said he will not seek election to the North Yorkshire unitary council but will continue in his role until the new authority is created in 2023.
Multiple senior political figures in the Harrogate district told the Stray Ferret earlier this month that the Conservative council leader would not be standing when voters head to the polls in May 2022.
Cllr Cooper has now confirmed the news. He said:
Read more:
- Speculation Harrogate council leader will not seek re-election in 2022
- Number of Harrogate district councillors could be cut by two-thirds
Cllr Cooper was first elected when he took the Liberal Democrat seat of West Central in 1999 and has since held several cabinet positions, as well as being deputy leader and serving on North Yorkshire County Council.
Council leader since 2014
He was elected as leader of Harrogate Borough Council in 2014 and will be the longest-serving holder of the position if he is re-elected next May.
Among his achievements, Cllr Cooper said he will remember increasing funding for homelessness, defeating the Nidd Gorge relief road proposal, raising the profile of sustainable transport and leading on the construction of the new Harrogate Civic Centre.
Cllr Cooper added:
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